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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25117348">New Year's Eve 1998</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hex_DevourCake/pseuds/Hex_DevourCake'>Hex_DevourCake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Old One [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dead by Daylight (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And I love what you do don't you know that you're toxiccccc, Danny is not as slick as he thinks he is, Danny is probably always going to be a dick, F/M, Gen, Joey and Susie stick together, Joey still a sad boi, M/M, finally a lil bit of smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:34:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,208</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25117348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hex_DevourCake/pseuds/Hex_DevourCake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Susie finds out Danny has a girlfriend, and reacts like... well, a teenage girl. Philip does some PI work for Evan. Joey and Susie keep each other's secrets.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anna | The Huntress/Evan MacMillan | The Trapper, Danny "Jed Olsen" Johnson | The Ghost Face/Susie, Dwight Fairfield/Joey, Julie/Frank Morrison, Kate Denson/Danny "Jed Olsen" Johnson | The Ghost Face</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Old One [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601092</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Frank</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks everyone who read the first two parts! I'm sorry for the delayed update, but it is a crazy time right now in my country, and I lost the urge to write. Thankfully, I've found it again, and hope to post new chapters more regularly.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny Macmillan didn't bother them until New Year's Eve.</p><p>	Julie, Susie and Joey had just arrived at Clive's bungalow around 10 PM with a case of beer. Julie was grounded after their little brush with death, but it was New Year's Eve so Susie helped her sneak out and Joey picked them both (and the beer) up. The bungalow wasn't the most ideal place to spend New Year's Eve, but they were trying to lay low and didn't have a lot of options. Clive would be at the bar until well into the morning, so they would have the place to themselves.</p><p>	All four heads whipped around when a loud, insistent knock came. Frank was the first to stand up.</p><p>	“Oh god, it's my parents!” Julie lamented.</p><p>	Susie shot up. “Wait, let me answer it. If it's Julie's dad, he'll knock you out,” she told him.</p><p>	Frank scowled. “I'd like to see him try.”</p><p>	Susie put a hand on her hip. “I can buy time for you guys to sneak out.”</p><p>	Frank didn't like the idea of potentially leaving Susie behind, but he nodded. As if reading his mind, Joey spoke up. “I'll stay with Suze while you guys sneak out the back. Take my keys.” Joey tossed him the car keys, and Frank and Julie made their way towards the kitchen, waiting by the door to the back porch.</p><p>	Frank couldn't help but peek as Susie answered the door. Even if it was a good plan... ever since that asshole had gotten the jump on them, he'd been more protective of all of them, but especially Susie. Susie liked to play with fire, but she was too naive to think about getting burned. Sure, she had gotten them on mostly equal footing with MacMillan, but Frank couldn't help but feel that it was at the expense of making herself a target.</p><p>	“What are you doing here?”</p><p>	There was no apprehension in her voice or alarm, only slight confusion. Julie peeked towards the front door as well.</p><p>	“I thought your little loser's club might like going to a real New Year's party.”</p><p>	Speak of the fucking devil. Frank's hands clenched into fists as his temper flared, and he made his way out of the kitchen.</p><p>	“Yeah, we don't party with assholes. Enjoy scrubbing puke out of your parent's persian rug.” Susie snipped, then tried to close the door. Danny stuck his foot in the way, then forced the door open again. Frank grabbed Susie's arm, pulling her back. He didn't like the idea of Susie getting too close to Macmillan, something just felt wrong about the way he looked at her. It was one of many things about him that set Frank on edge.</p><p>	“It's all hardwood floors, actually. And the party isn't at my estate.”</p><p>	Joey let out a derisive snort. “Ah yes, the elegant Macmillan Estate, with it's hardwood floors, winding staircases and crystal chandeliers.”</p><p>	“...do you think all wealthy people decorate like their houses like the Titanic?” Danny seemed partially amused, an eyebrow raised.</p><p>	Julie laughed, then Susie asked, “You've seen Titanic?” Danny's expression sobered, but he didn't deny it, and Julie laughed even harder, nearly doubling over.</p><p>	Frank let go of Susie's arm. He was still uneasy, but Susie was once again giving them the upper hand. She had a strange talent for throwing Danny off, and Frank respected that. “Why would you invite us to one of your preppy house parties?”</p><p>	“Fine, don't come. It would be a shame if the cops happened to find a certain body... or some security camera footage from a certain convenience store...” Danny said, smirking.</p><p>	Immediately, all of the mirth was sucked out of the bungalow, and Julie, Susie and Joey looked at Frank. Frank glared at Joey. “There were cameras?”</p><p>	“Hey, I had no idea about any cameras—the fucking owner must have put them in without telling us!” Joey protested.</p><p>	Frank scowled... but he couldn't exactly blame Joey. A few times, money had mysteriously gone 'missing' from the till, or there were cases of beer than had been marked as delivered but never sold, so the owner probably did install the cameras without telling the employees.</p><p>	“...whatever. I guess a party with a bunch of preps and jocks is better than being stuck in this shit hole.”</p><p>	Julie moved over to Frank, slipping her hand into his as Susie bounced with excitement and Joey pumped his fist in the air with a boisterous, “Hell yeah!” Frank regretted it immediately as he watched Susie smile at Danny, still bouncing on her toes, her cheeks flushing the same pink as her hair. He had a feeling that The Legion's presence wasn't being requested as much as hers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Danny</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He and the Legion took separate cars; the Legion in Joey's beat up Ford Escort, and he in his own black BMW M3. They followed behind him, a few car lengths more than necessary, enough to make him concerned they'd lose him at a stop light.</p><p>	Frank's instruction, likely. Joey was the driver, but it was really Frank behind the wheel at everything they did. Just in case they decided to change their mind about attending the party.</p><p>	Before long, he pulled up to Kate's house, a large, two story colonial. Cars already filled the driveway and down the street, so he had to park a few houses away, making sure there was an empty spot for Joey's car as well. He waited, leaning against the car as he watched Joey park behind his car and all four climbed out.</p><p>	“Who's fucking house is this?” Frank asked, looking along the street. “Looks like your neighborhood, Jules.”</p><p>	Julie scowled. “Mine's nicer.”</p><p>	Susie and Joey both shifted, the former looking uncomfortable and the latter looking annoyed at Julie's snide remark.</p><p>	Right. This neighborhood was far and away nicer than the one either of them lived in. The houses were all the same basic style, neutral colored, with two-car garages, well manicured lawns and privacy fences.</p><p>	“That's Kate's house,” Danny said, pointing to it before he pushed himself away from his car and tucked his keys into his pocket. “Let's go.”</p><p>	“Kate? Denson?” Susie asked, following after him. The rest of the Legion was less eager.</p><p>	“Yeah. You know her?” Danny asked, glancing at the rose-haired sophomore.</p><p>	Of course, Susie knew her. Or knew of her, at least. Kate was objectively the most attractive girl at Fairview High, she had better than average grades, a sweet, approachable demeanor, and she was a gifted singer. She was in the school choir and theatre club, and rarely did anyone bother challenging her for a solo.</p><p>	“Yeah, sort of. She's a junior, right?” Susie asked, playing coy.</p><p>	Danny nodded, but before he could speak further, Joey spoke up from the back. “Isn't she your girlfriend?”</p><p>	Susie stopped walking beside him with a soft, “Oh.”</p><p>	It wasn't untrue. Kate was exactly the kind of girl that Danny was expected to date. From an outside perspective, they just... made sense. But that wasn't what interested him. Or, rather, it was, but not for the reason anyone suspected.</p><p>	It would make much more of an impression when he killed her and set her body up for the cops to find. Local high school darling viciously murdered? Beautiful girl with a bright future, beloved by all? It would be on the front page of every newspaper in the province.</p><p>	He was waiting for the right moment, when it would have the most impact... which would be next year, when she was a senior and he had an out of state college as an alibi.</p><p>	In the meantime, she gave decent head and was generally low maintenance, so there wasn't yet a downside to keeping her alive.</p><p>	He could feel Susie looking at his back with wide eyes. There was something there, no point in denying it; he liked that shy little Susie was the one who stood up to him, trading quips and keeping him on his toes. </p><p>	His lips curled into a grin. It made him wonder... could he have his cake and eat it, too?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Philip Ojomo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was outside of the normal work he did for the Macmillan family, but Philip Ojomo understood the patriarch's suspicion of the murder of the janitor on Mount Ormond.</p><p>	When he arrived, the body had clearly been stabbed several times. This wasn't unusual of Danny's work, but there was no blood around corpse, only a few large splotches staining the snow. Strangely, there were several sets of footprints, in various sizes. Following them led to the actual body, then one set from the forest, and one set into the ski chalet. There was a mop and bucket laid on it's side not far from the body, and the smell of bleach still lingered. The man had been killed elsewhere, the scene had been cleaned up (by an amateur, no doubt—there was only bleach and nothing that indicated anything else had been cleaned), and the body dumped here. </p><p>	Danny never did that. He was too spoiled to ever clean up his mess, and his father's wealth and influence in the area gave him a certain kind of fearlessness and flair for the dramatic. He took his trophies and left, and soon after, Philip would get the call. He took care of the body, dismembering it and burying the pieces deep in the nearby woods. Burying the whole body would cause a suspicious mound of dirt that a hiker may find, and even if leveled, it would take too long for the ground cover to regrow over it. Several smaller bare spots would never be noticed.</p><p>	He relayed the same to Evan the following day, in his study, while Danny was at school.</p><p>	“Do you think Danny killed that janitor?” Evan asked firmly.</p><p>	“No.” Philip prided himself on instinct and integrity, and he couldn't honestly say he believed that Danny killed that man. It was too inconsistent.</p><p>	“Do you believe someone else did? Amanda?” he asked. Amanda had killed only once to his and Evan's knowledge, on her 19th birthday. She had moved to the city, only an hour or so away, so she could volunteer at rehab clinic, so it was possible, but Amanda seemed to enjoy toying with her kill. Possibly, she might have felt that Evan would refuse to help due to their strained relationship, but then she could just call Anna instead. Anna would never refuse to help her.</p><p>	“No. Highly unlikely.”</p><p>	“Who would Danny try to help?” It was a clear implication of Danny's selfishness and ego, but Philip felt the same. It didn't make sense for Danny to go out of his way to help anyone but his sister.</p><p>	“Does he have any friends?” Philip asked.</p><p>	Evan scowled. “He's popular at his school... but no, I haven't met any of them. He's dating this girl, Kate Denson, but... his interest doesn't seem genuine. I've only met her once, and he didn't seem pleased that she showed up at the manor.” Not to mention, Anna was chilly to the girl, clearly not impressed with Danny's taste; Danny was very susceptible to his mother's influence.</p><p>	“Apologies, but it appears my information was not as useful as hoped.”</p><p>	“On the contrary, it's extremely useful. This is my shortcoming, I've not taken an interest in his social life.”</p><p>	Philip didn't say anything. Their relationship wasn't one where it was appropriate to offer encouragement, but he knew that Evan was trying to better his relationship with his children while growing his business. Money meant safety, comfort, opportunity... all things that children needed.</p><p>	“Would you be opposed to following him, the next time he goes out?” Evan asked suddenly.</p><p>	Philip nodded, and three weeks later, he received the call. Danny had left around 10 PM, New Year's Eve. No friends had come to pick him up, he left alone in his BMW, heading south. His apparent girlfriend, Kate, lived north of the Macmillan estate. Philip never found where he was going, but waited near a major road, hoping to catch him on the way back. It took almost a half-hour, but soon, Danny's BMW passed, closely followed by a Ford Escort that was rapidly approaching disrepair. </p><p>	Not what he expected. He noted the license plate, and then followed, trailing far behind. Both cars were heading north, and the Escort stayed closely behind the BMW. They were going somewhere. After five minutes, he was sure of where they were going; Danny's girlfriend's house. He turned onto a side street to avoid suspicion and waited several minutes, until he was sure that they would not be able to notice his car reappearing behind them.</p><p>	He had to park a block from the Denson house, as cars lined the cul de sac. The house was lit up like a beacon, every light on, bright strings of white lights and reflective gold and silver streamers decorating the wrap around porch, and even fireworks going up from the back yard. Music could be heard even from where he parked.</p><p>	If no one had called the cops yet, he doubted anyone would. A shame. The police breaking up the party would make this a lot faster, but he could wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Susie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Susie couldn't help but feel awkward that Danny had brought them to his girlfriend's New Year's Eve party. This wasn't their scene, and it just felt... embarrassing. Maybe she was embarrassed for herself, thinking there was something between them.</p><p>	That was just stupid. Of course he was dating Kate “I'm A Perfect Blond Singer and Everyone Loves Me” Denson. She'd never done anything to offend Susie personally, even when others around them had, but... she just had such a charmed life. So did Danny. So it made sense they'd be together.</p><p>	Susie knew money and good looks weren't everything, but when you didn't have either, they sure seemed like it. Deep down, she was even a little jealous of Julie; no one ever saw her when Julie was around, and no one knew who she was. 'Oh, you're Julie's friend' was what she heard whenever she tried to remind people of her existence. Not even 'Julie's best friend'.</p><p>	She slowed until she was with the rest of the Legion again, where she belonged. Joey moved his arm around her shoulders and squeezed, and ever so slightly, she leaned against him as they walked.</p><p>	She knew what people thought sometimes; she and Joey were together, pair the spares. They were close, almost like siblings. They shared a neighborhood and were children of poor single parents, Susie was unnoticed and whenever Joey was noticed, some racist asshole always had to take that away from him. She was close to Julie, too, but not in the same way. Julie was her best friend, but aside from the suppressed jealousy, there was an admiration for Julie. Julie was so kind, thinking of other people, never lashing out. Even when one of them fucked up, or went too far with a joke, Julie forgave them. Susie could never be like that, life had dealt her a bad hand and she couldn't forgive anyone who made it worse. She admired Frank, too; he was charismatic, a natural leader, and protective of them. Again, things Susie could never be. She would never feel like she would be on their level, and as bad as it was, she was okay with it because Joey was there with her.</p><p>	The music was loud once they were inside, and Julie and Frank were already looking for the alcohol. She and Joey broke apart, but stood next to each other, leaning against the back of the couch, waiting for them to return.</p><p>	Danny had already disappeared into the sea of swaying and bouncing classmates. Of course, he ditched them to go find Kate, even though he'd forced them to come.</p><p>	Frank and Julie came back, Frank holding a bottle of clear liquid and giving it an inviting shake as he grinned.</p><p>	“Is that a handle of vodka?” Joey asked, his nose scrunching up. “Dude, you couldn't find anything better?”</p><p>	“Don't be a bad guest, the host has been gracious enough to provide refreshments,” Frank laughed. Even Susie smiled.</p><p>	Frank went first, taking a long swig. He never had a problem taking double shots straight down, and simply wiped his mouth as he handed it to Julie. Julie took a much smaller drink, then coughed and shook her head as she handed it to Joey. Joey rolled his eyes and took a long swig, then handed it to her. “That shit burns. A girl in this neighborhood could afford Stoli, at least.”</p><p>	“Don't be a snob for free drinks,” Julie giggled. She had no tolerance at all. Her parents were so overbearing, she almost never had a chance to build one up.</p><p>	'Fuck it.' She might as well get shitfaced. It was New Year's Eve, a time to say goodbye to the shittiest year since mom died. She drank from the bottle until it felt like she was going to throw up, then handed it back to Frank.</p><p>	“Damn, Suze.” She couldn't tell if he was worried or impressed. It was already going to her head. And then, by the stairs, she saw him. Danny. He was going up. Probably to see Kate, in her room. Bile rose up again.</p><p>	“That asshole,” she mumbled, then took a deep breath before heading towards the stairs. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but it felt like she was being led on, and she needed to scream at him. Not just for that, but for treating her friends like puppets, like he could just pull some strings and they'd dance for him.</p><p>	Climbing up the stairs took more focus than she expected, but she was sure he looked back at her. It kept her ire going. He was doing it on purpose, he baited her into following him, playing her again.</p><p>	When she reached the top of the stairs, she continued moving towards him. He stopped in front of a room. Probably Kate's room. Her heartbeat faster. Why the fuck should she even care, maybe this was all in her head and it wasn't like they'd even done anything.</p><p>	She still wanted to scream, punch him in the gut and dare him to call the cops. He wouldn't. He couldn't. This stupid party couldn't be why he wanted them under his thumb.</p><p>	He turned as soon as she was at his back.</p><p>	“Before you go fuck your girlfriend into the New Year, I need to tell you something.” She said, and then swallowed. She felt weird and scared and hurt and angry and a little lightheaded but mostly...</p><p>	Mostly she didn't know what she wanted to say.</p><p>	Danny grinned, as if he knew she didn't fully think this through, and finally didn't have something snappy to say. That fueled both the angry and weird feeling.</p><p>	“Don't fucking look at me like that, you're an asshole, Macmillan, a fucking asshole--” Her voice was getting progressively louder, and Danny's grin faded as he grabbed her arm and opened the door, pulling her inside before someone noticed her making a scene.</p><p>	“So what? Are you going to do something about it?” He asked, his voice quiet and husky. There were only a few inches between them, and she struggled to maintain her anger. She looked around for something she could use to stoke the fire. Soft blue walls, posters of Dolly Parton, and Jewel, a stereo and a full tape deck... a bed with a red and pink plaid comforter, and a corkboard full of drawings and pictures hanging on the wall to Susie's right. </p><p>	Damn it.</p><p>	His fingers curled around her chin. “You're cute when you're mad. Too bad you're all talk.”</p><p>	Susie pushed him away then pulled her arm back, hand open and swung it towards his face as hard as she could...</p><p>	And his hand wrapped around her forearm, gripping it tightly as he pushed her back. Her back hit the wall, one shoulder on the corkboard.</p><p>	His head dipped, and Susie snarled, “Really? In your girlfriend's bedroom?”</p><p>	“Well, I was going to be romantic, but since you've pointed it out...” His free hand crept up her skirt, over one thigh. She pressed her lips together tightly to muffle a gasp. Her tights were between his hand and her skin, but it was still the most intimate contact she'd ever had with a boy.</p><p>	“What...” she finally asked.</p><p>	“Drop the innocent act.” He leaned closer, until she was only able to look at the side of his head. “You love it.” She shivered at his hot breath against her ear. His hand crept up her thigh until it cupped her clothed sex, and involuntarily, she moved her hips into it.</p><p>	Susie's face went red, and his hand moved out from under her skirt. She bit her lip, embarrassed at how much she missed it, and how badly she wanted more.</p><p>	His hand squeezed her arm again, as if to remind her that he wasn't done. His hand fished into his pocket, and her gaze went down to the obvious bulge in his jeans. She didn't even notice the small blade until he said, “Hold still.”</p><p>	She froze, watching his hand and the blade disappear under her skirt. Everything seemed to stop, including her breathing, but a moment later, she heard the soft 'shhrr' of cloth being cut, a momentary touch of the tip of the cold blade, and then he removed his hand. She exhaled.</p><p>	“There, that's better.” The blade disappeared into his pocket and his hand slipped under her skirt again, this time caressing the wet folds of her womanhood.</p><p>	“I knew you'd like that.” Susie swallowed again, hating that she did, and secretly reveling in how he wasn't wrong. There was something between them, and it was bigger than Kate.</p><p>	Suddenly, a finger pushed in, and she moaned. He released her hand, then covered her mouth with his hand. Her eyes widened. “Quiet. We're not supposed to be in here, remember?” Susie wanted to reply, even though it would be muffled, but his finger began thrusting and all she could focus on was how tight it was. A moment later, a second finger joined it, and with it, a pleasant stretching sensation. She nodded, and he removed his hand.</p><p>	Susie bit her lip as his fingers kept thrusting, nearly breaking the skin as his finger found her clit and rubbed in small circles. She could feel herself getting tighter. But Danny didn't relent, pulling her pink hair away from her neck and biting it. A drop of blood hit her tongue, but she didn't care. The harder he bit, the more she tightened up.<br/>	Her head lolled to the side to give him more room to do as he pleased, and her eyes scanned the corkboard as she climbed closer and closer to her first non-self-administered climax. She stopped on a picture of Danny and Kate. Kate's smile was wide and she had her arm around him, holding the camera aloft. Danny was smiling too, but it seemed reluctant. Maybe that's what she wanted to think, but her doubt was drowned out as her orgasm ripped through her, radiating out from her core.</p><p>	She moaned, louder than any noise she'd made since he pulled her into the room, and his hand clamped over her mouth. She moved her hips against his hand as she rode it out.</p><p>	It faded all too quickly, and he removed his hand. As she came down from the high, he was staring, and it settled in again that he had a beautiful, blond, popular, talented girlfriend. She scanned his face, sure she would find traces of regret, but instead, he dipped his head and took her lower lip between his, sucking off a drop of blood.</p><p>	She grabbed his shirt and tried to hold him close, but his hands curled around her wrists pushing them away. “You don't want to...?” Her heart sank. It didn't make sense. Wasn't he supposed to want to get off, too?</p><p>	He stepped back and readjusted his still-hard cock in his pants. “Not this time. We'll try something else next time...” He said, his familiar grin returning.</p><p>	All Susie could do was lean against the wall and watch as he left the room. She'd wait a few minutes, standing there flushed, with ruined tights, so people wouldn't be suspicious. She glanced at the picture again, then ripped it from the corkboard, the push pin staying firmly in place.</p><p>	She folded it in fourths and stuck it in the front pocket of her hoodie. She didn't know what she'd do with it, but she knew she didn't want Kate to have it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally, some actual smut. Sorry it took so long. I do intend to do something with Amanda/Billy and maybe more in depth on Anna/Evan, as well as other pairings.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Joey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Let her go,” Frank said, gently pushing down Julie's arm as she reached out to stop Susie from going upstairs and following Danny.</p><p>	Joey shoved his hands in his pockets as Frank took another swig of the vodka, then offered it to him. This didn't feel right... it almost felt like letting Susie charge into a lion's den, or handing her over to Danny in exchange for the 'privilege' of attending this party.</p><p>	He'd been excited at first, but now the sense of 'we don't belong here' was creeping in. None of these people were their friends; some were on the basketball team and knew Frank, but Joey knew what they said about Frank now that he wasn't around. He was a loser, his parents didn't want him, he turned Julie into a whore... It made him mad, but without Frank around, he couldn't do anything about what was said in the halls of their high school. He couldn't start a fight and expect Susie and Julie to jump in to defend Frank's honor.</p><p>	But what about Susie's honor? They had to protect her, even if she insisted on playing with fire. </p><p>	“I don't trust that guy.”</p><p>	“Yeah, no shit. None of us do. But we have to tolerate him...” Frank reminded him.</p><p>	“Yeah, I know,” Joey agreed. That didn't mean he had to like it, or he had to let Danny toy with Susie. “I'm going up there,” he said.</p><p>	Frank shrugged, but Julie nodded. </p><p>	Joey headed up the stairs, but he didn't see Susie or Danny anywhere. One door was open, which was the bathroom, and he could see they weren't in there. There were several bedrooms... 'Shit, Susie...'</p><p>	If she and Danny were alone in a bedroom at a house party, they weren't there to talk.</p><p>	He walked down the hall slowly, close to the doors. He could hear loud, wanton cries of pleasure—faking it, he doubted Susie would or could do that. Finally, he stopped in front of a closed door, hearing muffled sounds. He swallowed, and opened the door a crack.</p><p>	Through the crack, he could see the purple plaid of Susie's skirt and wisps of pink hair... and a hand over her mouth. Anger shot through him, but Susie nodded her head and the hand moved.</p><p>	He wanted to bust in there and stop them, but even if she wasn't making much noise, Susie wasn't fighting him. And it was painfully obvious that Susie liked him. Yeah, Danny was a huge asshole, and he was definitely toying with her, but he'd alienate Susie if he broke in. And Frank would be pissed, and probably fly off the handle if he found out Danny had actually touched her. It was too big a risk.</p><p>	He owed her, too. She was the only person who knew the real reason he'd been fired from the gas station. He wasn't the only person from their school who worked there, Dwight Fairfield, another junior, had worked there a little longer than Joey. Sometimes, when they were in the cooler stocking beer and soda, or taking a break out by the dumpster, they'd light up a joint and complain about their teachers or the shift supervisor.</p><p>	Joey had never felt attracted to anyone before, let alone a guy. Sure, Julie was really pretty and overall a nice girl, and Susie's natural cuteness was only enhanced by her sharp comebacks. Even Frank was objectively attractive, being taller than average, charismatic, confident and loyal. But he'd never been attracted to any of them. Dwight, in comparison, was kind of short, he had glasses, he was a bit of a slacker... but they got along well, it was just... natural and easy.</p><p>	Then their shift supervisor went to college, and Dwight was promoted to replace him. Things were okay at first... but then he didn't want to smoke weed on the job, saying he wanted to be a hard worker. He didn't laugh when Joey jokingly pointed out that he never cared about that before. It got worse over a few weeks; Dwight built the schedule around his convenience, giving Joey the latest shifts, demanded the store (including the bathrooms) be clean even though they had a janitor for that, and even got on him about his attitude with the customers.</p><p>	Joey got frustrated. Dwight had changed. The power went to his head. But he couldn't let go of his feelings. It all came to a head when Dwight (correctly) accused him of shortchanging the till. He told Dwight everything—how he changed, how being a shift supervisor was a “loser presiding over other losers”, and that it really sucked.</p><p>	'Why do you care? Just fucking quit then if you hate me so much.'</p><p>	Joey did... kind of the opposite. 'Because I like you.'</p><p>	'Yeah, we're friends. Look, I'm sorry I've been a dick--'</p><p>	Just seeing a glimpse of the old Dwight was enough for Joey. He pulled him closer and kissed him.</p><p>	Dwight pushed him off, shocked and angry. 'What the fuck?'</p><p>	Joey's heart dropped into his beat up, knock off Nikes. </p><p>	'You're fired.' Dwight blurted it out.</p><p>	'Are you fucking serious?'</p><p>	'If you talk to me again, I'll tell everyone. And I'll tell old man Miller that you're the one taking from the till.'</p><p>	'You were already going to do that, you dick.'</p><p>	Dwight's expression softened for a moment, then he said in an even tone. 'I was going to blame the new guy and hope you knocked it off, you idiot.'</p><p>	Joey left, kicking over the waste bin outside. He drove around crying for a while, angry and confused and frustrated, and then he called the only person he could; Susie. He didn't want anyone to know, but he needed someone. Susie would never tell, and now...</p><p>	He had to repay the favor. He stepped back, quietly shutting the door and went in the bathroom, pretending to use it until he heard the door to that bedroom open and shut. Then he watched as Danny went down the stairs, and headed into the bedroom.</p><p>	Susie was still leaning against the wall, her hands in the pocket of her hoodie.</p><p>	“You okay?” He leaned against the wall beside her.</p><p>	Susie was quiet for a moment, then said, “I don't know.”</p><p>	Joey wrapped an arm around her shoulders and forced a smile. “Let's go downstairs and figure it out while we party, yeah?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Joey is a cinnamon roll. Sorry Joey, ily.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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